Trolley-replacer.



v E. L. PANGBRN & H. W. NIERMEYER.

TROLLEY-REPLACE?. APPLICAUON H LED MAY 1. 19H.

1,276,564. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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TROLLEY REPLACER. APPLlcAnoN FILED MAY 1. 1917.

Patented Aug. 20, 19l8.

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EARL L. PANG'BORN AND HENRY W. NIERMEYER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TROLLEY-REPLACER.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Application led May 7, 1917. Serial No. 166,963.

To all 'whom z' may concer-n.'

Be it lrnown that we, EAPL L. PANGBORN and HENRY W. NIERMEYER, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Trolley-Replacers, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for automatically replacing trolley wheels which have become displaced from the wires from which they take the electric current, and the object ot the invention is to provide a simple and durable device which will be actuated by the displaced wire.

`We accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a trolley wheel and wire to which wheel our invention is applied and is shown in full lines set ready to replace the wheel, and in dotted lines in raised position after the wire has been replaced. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the wire looking at the wheel and its mechanism in elevation in the direction shown by the arrow 2, in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a view of the inner side of the ratchet wheel. Fig. 4t is a section on the line 4-1 of Fig. 1.

like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

The trolley wire d, wheel 5 and harp 6, supporting the wheel are of any usual and suitable construction. In axial alinement with the axis of rotation of the wheel, are two extensions 7 and 8 capable of a rocking adjustment throughan arc of approximately 180C. These terminate at their outer ends with arms 9, at right angles to said extensions, and these in turn have inturned triangular frames 10, the inner angles of which terminate opposite the respective adjacent iianges of the wheel 5. These arms are carried normally in approximately horizontal positions pointing in opposite directions to the travel of the car, and may be correspondingly set as the direction of travel is changed.

Springs 11 have one end of each fastened to the harp and are wrapped around the respective extensions 7 and 8 and have their outer ends fastened to the said extensions. These springs are set to normally raise the arms, whether set toward the front or rear,

to a vertical position shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The two arms are rigidly united to cause them to move together, preferably by forming the extensions 7 and 8 from a single rod which passes `through the trolley wheel axle. To make the arms ride freely under the overhead work which holds the trolley wire, particularly at curves, when the arms are in their raised positions we provide the arched ribs 12 on one side and curve the end 13 of each arm on the other side, as shown.

Mounted in a fixed manner on the extension 8 is a wheel le, having a double series of diametrically opposite ratchet teeth (see Fig. 8) on the side next to the harp, and a pair of radial pins 15, one at the lower end of each series of teeth.

Fastened rigidly to the harp is a bar 16, the upper and lower ends of which terminate approximately even with the outer adjacent rim of the trolley wheel. To the upper end ot this bar the outwardly and downwardly sloping' cross head 1T of a plate is hinged. At the outer end of this head an upwardly projected stop-lug 1S is formed. Depending from the head is an integral stem 19, having a single tooth 20, in its outer edge to engage ,with the ratchet teeth of one of the series of teeth on the wheel 14-the engaged series depending upon which way the arms are turned, as, toward the front or rear. A yielding engagement is secured by a spring 21 between the stem 19 and bar 16, which normally presses the stem toward the ratchet wheel. At the inner side of the lower end of the stem 19 is a perforated lug 22, which loosely receives the reduced and upwardly bent end'ot a lever 28. |The lever 23 is pivoted to the lower end of the bar 16. Its opposite long arm extends across the wheel l, and is 'then bent upwardly and extends across a chord of the wheel, and is then bent in an outward and downwardly oblique direction analogous to but in reverse to the sloping cross head 17. The end of the long arm of the lever is bent up to forni the stop 18. The function of the two oppositely oblique members terminating with stops 18 and 18 is to catch the wire 4 when the wheel 5 leaves it by accident. The weight of the wire on the cross head 17 and the pressure of the latter against the wire causes the plate to swing about its pivotal attachment to the bar .16, thereby withdrawing the tooth 20 from its engagement with the rat-chets of When the trolley is o to unlock the arms and spring means to raise the arms to a substantially vertical position When unlocked.

3. The combination, with a trolley Wheel and harp, of a. two-part rod passing through the axis ot rotation of the Wheel and each part terminating at its outer end in a right angle arm extending parallel With the trolley Wheel, oblique members arranged on and sloping from said arms to the periphery of the trolley Wheel, automatic means comprising a ratchet Wheel and paWl-lever to lock the arms in a. substantially horizontal position When they are moved thereto by contact with the overhead Work supporting the trollef-Wire, means actuated by the `Wire When the trolley is oli" to move the pavfllever to unlock the arms, and spring means to raise the arms to a substantially vertical position when unlocked.

4. The combination, With a trolley Wheel and harp, ot' a. `tivo-part rod passing through the axis of rotation of the Wheel and each part terminating' at its outer end in a right angle arm extending parallel with the trolley wheel, oblique members arranged on and slopingl `trom said arms to the periphery ot the trolley Wheel, automatic means comprising a ratchet Wheel and paWl-lever to lock the arms in a substantially horizontal position When they are moved thereto by contact With the overhead Work supporting the trolley Wire, means actuated by the Wire when the trolley is ott' to move the paivl-lever to unlock the arms, means to hold the pavvllever out of engagement With the ratchet Wheel, means by the lowering of the arms to release said last means, and spring means to raise the arms to a substantially vertical position when unlocked.

5. The combination, With a trolley Wheel and harp, of a tivo-part rod passing through the axis of rot-ation of the Wheel and each part terminating at its outer end in a right angle arm extending parallel With the trolley Wheel, oblique members arranged on and sloping from said arms to the periphery of the trolley Wheel, automatic means comprising a ratchet Wheel and paWl-lever to lock the arms in a substantially horizontal position When they are moved thereto by contact with the overhead Work supporting the troley Wire, means on both sides of the trolley Wheel actuated by the Wire When the trolley is ott to move the paWl-lever out of engagement With the ratchet Wheel, means on said last Wheel by the lowering of the arms to release said last means, and spring means to raise the arms to a substantially vertical position when unlocked.

6. The combination, with a trolley Wheel and harp, of a pair ot arms substantially at right angles to and swinging on the axis of rotation or' the Wheel, the lengths of said arms `being greater than the radius of the Wheel, said arms having members on their' sides next to the Wheel sloping toward the latter and having' curved portions at right angles to the sloping members, means to lock the arms when they are lowered by contact with the overhead Work supporting the Wire, means on both sides of the trolley Wheel to unlock the arms by contact With the Wire when the Wheel is olf the Wire, and automaticVV means to raise the arms when unlocked.

7. The combination et a harp, an-axle having a longitudinal bore, a trolley Wheel loosely mounted on the axle, a pair ot' arms each having a rod-member which rod-members are assembled from opposite ends in the bore of the axle, collars on the axle, set screws from the harp holding' the collars, interlocking means at the meeting ends of the rod-members and means on the rod members to prevent their longitudinal movement through the collars.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands and seals at indianapolis, Indiana, this 18th day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

EARL L. PANGBORN. L. s] HENRY Vf. NIERMEYER. [1.. s]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Sommissoner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

